Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers Of Legend
by Dragon Seraphim
Summary: When James White helps a woman and her children at a Pokemon Convention, it attracts the attention of Celebi herself who recruits the young man to take part in a mysterious quest. Now in the body of a Ditto, he deals with his new powers, a new world, a shady guild, a growing band of eccentric companions, Legendaries making a grab for power..and all sorts of other craziness!


**Hello everyone. Dragon Seraphim here with his first ever Pokemon** **fanfic!..For this website anyway. I know, I know, you were expecting** **an update to a certain other fanfic, and I will get to it, I promise.**  
**It's just the last year has been very busy and stressful on me. I have** **been working on it though, and I will continue it, thank you for your** **patience.**

**Disclaimar: I do not own Pokémon in any way, shape, or form. I only** **own James White. But if I did own the franchise..oh, the things that** **could've been..**

**But enough talk. On with the story! Also, please go easy on me since** **this is my first time.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Your Story Begins**

It started out as a good day, why, I'd even go as far as saying it was a great one infact. Oh sure, it was a day like any other,  
but this one was special. I was suppose to be spending it rekindling an old love from my childhood, not...to be honest, I'm not  
entirely sure what's going on.

When I set out for the convention that day..this..this was the last thing I expected. I have so many questions, and too few answers.  
The only thing I can do now..is trust my instincts and go forward.

...Heh, look at me. Going all bold and dramatic when I haven't even explained what's going on. I guess I should probaubly explain  
myself and get you all up to speed.

Get comfy folks, cause this is gonna get really weird, really fast... 

* * *

My name is James White. I was once a normal fella like you or anybody else. I was in college, doing reasonably well, played  
video games, ate junk food, watched anime, surfed the web. You know, typical stuff. Not terribly exciting, I know, but not too bad either.

This was how most of my days went: I'd get up, get dressed, wash, eat breakfast, check my email, go to classes if I had them, than either head for the library or fiddle around in town while looking for a job. Some days I may grab a bite to eat at the nearest take-out than it's home again to do a bit of studying, grab a shower, play some video games, and than it's lights out.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat. This was how my days went, and how I felt I'd spend them for the foreseeable future. Or at least until I found my little  
niche in society to call my own, gradually work into a position where I can live comfortably, and that's that.

At least..that WAS my plan until "It" happened.

To better understand what I mean by "It" you need a bit of background info on yours truly. Don't worry, I'll keep it short. When I was a kid, I adored  
the Pokémon Anime. I mean, what kid didn't? Seriously, I could not get enough of seeing Ash and Pikachu on their grand adventures.

I never got the chance to play through any of the games though I did see them around my hometown a lot. My inability to play them was partly  
due to my birth parents being a pair of cheapskates, but that's another story.

I'm gonna be frank with you, I secretly wanted to go on an Pokémon Journey as a kid..don't laugh! I know, it's a bit childish but I also know I ain't the  
only one who dreamt that.

Anyways, my story really began when I came upon a poster at my college, announcing the coming of a Pokémon Convention to MY hometown in less than a month! To make things even sweeter, they were showing the newest Pokémon movie!

I don't need to tell you how excited that made me. So, I spent the next month saving up as much allowance as I possibly could until the big day arrived...

My alarm went off with a loud beeping. I groaned and sat up, shutting off the buzzer with one hand while  
rubbing the sleep from my eyes with the other,"Oh man..Morning already?" I checked the clock and was surprised to see how early it was,  
"8:30?" There was no classes today so no need to get up so early.

I laid back down and closed my eyes, only to snap them open a few seconds later, realizing why I'd set it at all,  
"Oh right..convention day."

I got up, dressed in black sweat pants, grey socks and navy blue t-shirt, before heading to the bathroom. I observed my fair-skinned and brown-eyed face before washing up and combing my short dark brown hair. After that, it was time for breakfast.

Once I finished and cleaned up, I threw on my coat and grabbed the first bus to the community center, where the event was being help.

Upon arriving, I saw the parking lot around was swarming with excited fans. There was a real sense of anticipation and excitement in the air, and after what felt like hours, but was probaubly only minutes, the doors opened and allowed the flock to enter.

The convention was a sight to behold. All around was stuff related to Pokémon: Trading Cards, Toys, Keychains, Stick-On Tattoos, Posters and loads of games. There were even tables set up for card duels and Wi-Fi battles.

It was basically a Pokémon lover's paradise.

I think it's pretty obvious that my time there was not for nothing. I came away with plenty of sweet merchandise, including BOTH  
Pokémon Black and White 2 for my DS, some fancy posters, a Kyurem figurine, a box of trading cards, and so on.

Overall, not a bad catch, if I say so myself.

By the time, I was done with the convention, the sun was already starting to set. It was time to head home..At least, that was the plan,  
until..that woman and her children came into the picture.

I swear, the universe must have a weird sense of humor because if I hadn't done what I did..if I hadn't been such a "goody goody two shoes" as some folks like to call me..well, I might not be in my current situation.

Here's how it went...

* * *

I was on my way out to grab a bus ride home when I heard a young voice cry out loudly,"But Mom! You promised!" I stopped and turned to see a bench where two kids sat, a boy and a girl, no older than 5 or 7. A taller woman stood nearby, wearing a sad expression on her face.

"I'm sorry, kids. I tried my best, I really did. I guess we'll simply have to keep looking," The kids, who I assumed were hers, sobbed and she rubbed their heads,"There, there. It'll be alright.."

The little girl though, wasn't happy,"But Mommy..you promised this time you'd find them."

"A promise is a promise." The boy nodded in agreement with his sister. Despite the gloomy air around them,  
folks simply walked by, shaking their heads in disqust.

I gnarled my teeth. If there's one thing I hate to see is a child's tears and nobody doing anything about it. I know some folks  
may have reasons for not helping, but it's like they expect the problem to fix itself.

I waltzed on over to see what I could do,"Excuse me? Is something the matter?"

The woman looked to me and shook her head,"Oh, thank you young man, but I'm sorry, there's nothing you can do. My kids just been looking for this particular Pokémon game and I can't seem to find it anywhere."

My interest was piqued by her problem,"You're trying to help your kids find a Pokémon game? I find that quite surprising."

"Why you say that?" She inquired.

I shrugged,"Meh, I simply don't see too many parents do that kind of thing for their kids."

"That's cause Mommy likes Pokémon too," The boy proclaimed, his mood seeming to brighten a little,  
"She's been looking for over a year for Black 2 or White 2.."

"No matter where I go, I can't find them anywhere.." The mom said with a sigh,"And I don't like using credit cards,  
so ordering online is out of the question...I try to give my kids what I can but I only have so much.."

I won't lie, I did feel kinda bad for this trio. Here was a mother trying to provide for her kids and no one lending a  
hand, just a little something to help make her burden a little more manageable. I looked down to where my bag lied,"Hmm.."

Now, some of you may say what I was about to do was monumentally stupid and way too high an act of generosity. You know what? Maybe you're right, but even if you'd told me not to do it..I likely would've done it anyways. That's simply how I roll.

I pulled out both games and handed them over,"Here you go." I smiled.  
Needless to say, all three were left flabbergasted by this act,"I..you..but I.." The woman gasped out. I tell you, the look on her face was priceless.

"We all need a helping hand once in a while," I answered honestly,"So go on, take them."

"But..I can't simply accept them," The mother argued, gaining back some of her composure. She fumbled with her purse,  
"At least let me repay you.."

"I don't want money, your thanks is good enough,"I answered while shaking my head,"Besides, making kids smile is one of  
my specialties.." Sure enough, the tears were replaced with beaming faces.

The mother still hesitated, as if the thought of accepting my offer went against some sort of moral code. "Well..if you're sure." She at last took them,  
"Thank you. I hope God blesses you for this." The kids happily thanked me and headed out the door with their mom.

I nodded in approval,"Well James, you're out 40 bucks but you did your good deed for the day." I adjusted my jacket, grabbed the bag and headed  
out the door, whistling to myself.

And that's when the spit hit the fan...

* * *

_A spiraling tunnel of energy and light..another dimension..a stream  
__of time..images flashing by at rapid speed as an unseen figure observed.._

_An image of a mighty barbarian warrior in battle,"Hrm..brave..but too violent.."_

_Another image. One of a man wearing glasses, studying mountains of books,_

_"Intelligent..but far too obsessed with the pursut of knowledge.."_

_Another. A kind sitting on a throne, being worshipped like a deity,"Ughh..definitely not.."_

_The watcher shook its head in disapproval,"No no no..none of these will do" It looked ready to call it quits..but before they could, one image caught their attention,"Wait.."_

_An image of a young man, he was with a woman and two children. The man reached Into his bag and withdrew two items that the latter had been seeking. He handed them over, asked nothing in return and let the mother go on her way._

_This surprised the figure quite a bit,"Oh my..a simple act of kindness..perhaps he can help me.."_

_The figure glowed green and its blue eyes shone,"I need to try.." The image_

_glowed and shone brightly...  
_

* * *

I headed toward the bus stop, ready to go home..when a strange wind blew in the air,"What the?" I stopped and looked  
about, the wind had the scent of freshly-cut grass which was..pleasant yet odd.

Mostly because I was nowhere near grassy fields,"O..k.."

I took another step..only to see that..nothing was moving. No, really, the few people I saw at the bus stop were frozen like statues,  
the birds in the sky had stopped too. All around me..it was like time had suddenly stopped for everyone..and everything..

"Er...ok..getting really weirded out now.." I wanted to move, to scream, to do something..and that's when the green light shone beneath me.  
I watched as it expanded into a circle. I than felt myself beginning to sink into it.

I struggled against the force but it was almost like quick sand, the more I resisted, the more I got sucked in. Before long, only my head remained, I managed to get one last glimpse of the world I once knew...before green consumed everything.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself surrounded by the sight of clocks and numbers, I could make out what looked like reels playing scenes from history. It was all..quite trippy, let's put it that way.

Before I could fully comprehend all this, a new voice, a female one spoke..or to be more exact, I heard it in my head,"Hi there!" I jumped and  
turned to see, of all things, a small green sprite-like creature with big blue eyes and wings floating before me.

...Ladies and Gentleman, Celebi has entered the building!

"What..you.." I had to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Still there,"C-C-Celebi?..THE Celebi?!"

"Yep, yep!" She smiled and waved happily,"Celebi's my name! Don't wear it out! Sorry about dragging you here, but I don't exactly have a lot of time."

"You..You're real.." I pointed a trembling finger at her,"You..are real,right?"  
I shook my head in denial,"Ok..this has to be one of those hidden camera shows, isn't it?"

The sprite chuckled at me,"Nope, I know this is a lot to take in and you probaubly have questions, but believe me when I say this is real."  
Yep, she was definitely talking in my head.

I sighed and massaged my temples to relieve the tension building up,"..Alright, if this really is happening, than this has gotta be a lead contender  
for the title of Most Messed-Up Day Ever.." Celebi snickered at my comment.

I looked her in the eye,"Guess intros are in order. James White, nice to meet you." I offered a hand in greeting, might as well be civil, right?

Celebi used her tiny paw to shake,"Same here. I gotta say, you're taking all this much better than I expected."

That comment made me raise an eyebrow at her,"How did you expect me to take it?"

She suddenly got a shifty look in her eyes,"Oh, you know, rolling around, screaming your head off, probaubly yelling and cursing the heavens  
for your bad luck, doing the clichéd "Why me?" stunt."

I folded my arms with a huff,"I won't lie, that thought did cross my mind..maybe it simply hasn't sunken in fully you've single-handedly  
destroyed my entire perception of reality.."

The legendary seemed to find my commentary amusing,"Trust me, if I wanted to hurt you, we wouldn't be talking right now, would we?"  
That did make some degree of sense, so I nodded.

"But we've spent enough time talking," Celebi announced, suddenly all busy,"I have a..problem, you could say, and I need help."

Wait, did she say what I think she said? "Um..what? You..a Legendary Pokémon..need MY help?"

"If you're willing to offer it, yes," She confirmed with a nod, not losing her composure even a little.

I scratched my noggin in perplexion,"Ermm..why? I don't mean to sound ignorant but..you're the Time Travel Pokémon!  
You've got..extraordinary powers on your side..why would you need the help of some human?"

It was her turn to let out a sigh,"Look..I wish I had long enough to fully explain everything..but sadly, I don't. First off, as I'm sure you're aware,  
we Legendaries are powerful..but there are some things even we're not capable of doing..as I'm sure those movies back in your  
world have shown.."

For the moment, I wasn't going to question the logic of a time traveler, or how she knew about the whole "Pokémon is a tv show" deal.  
Something told me I wasn't getting a straight answer. So I simply nodded,"I'm following you.."

She went on,"As you know, I'm the Time Travel pokemon, I move through the streams of time, guarding and protecting it..but there are  
rules in place that keep me from directly interfering in some affairs.."

"I can see why there might be rules," I interjected,"Time's a fickle thing..it's not the kind of thing one should play with freely."

"Exactly," She gave an affirmative nod,"But this..this is one of those cases where I can't stand idly by and do nothing..I maybe forbidden from  
interfering..but You aren't."

I was taken aback by that,"Me? But why? What's even happening?"

Celebi turned and flew off a little ways,"You come from a different time..a different world...it's hard for me to explain but..something is wrong  
with my world..very wrong..I can feel it," She turned back to me,"And if nothing's done about it.." She shuddered.

I was starting to put the pieces together,"So..because of these "laws" you abide by, you can't interfere..so you want me to act in your place."  
Ever get that feeling there's butterflies in your stomach? I was getting that right now.

The green fairy gave a small nod,"Yes..I won't force you to do it if you don't want to. This task I ask of you could be very difficult..I'll do what  
I can to support you but I can't make any promises," She flew up close to me,"It's your choice though. I can send you back, your memory of  
this meeting will be erased, and you can continue your life as you were before.."

"I'll find another to help me..but.." Oh great, here it comes,"The more time I spend looking for someone willing to help..the more lives that  
maybe put in danger.."

I pondered the thought over for a bit. Was this really something I should be risking my life over? I hardly knew Celebi, plus I had my life  
back home to think about..if I agreed, would I ever see it again?

"I cannot assure you'll be able to return to your world," She suddenly interrupted my thoughts,"But I do promise you'll keep your human memories,  
I'm not sending you in blind." At seeing my awe-struck face, she smiled and winked,"Don't bother thinking about how I knew that too much,ok?"

I calmly nodded,"Oh, and I also know you will turn into a Pokémon too.." There's another point in her favor,"Though I can't be sure which one..it'll reflect who you are, that's all I can say."

This was truly surreal. If I agreed, there was a high chance I wouldn't be seeing my home again for quite some time, but if I refused...that could  
only create more trouble.

Celebi's form started to flicker, she cursed,"Darn it, we're almost out of time. You need to make your choice and quickly."

I snapped to attention, no more room for hesitating. If lives were in danger, I needed to do something,"Ok, I'll do it."

At hearing this, she relaxed,"Thank you.." Her eyes glowed and a new gateway opened for me. The act seemed to take another toll on  
her as she was fading fast.

"Wait, Celebi!" I reached out to her but my hand passed right through,"Don't go yet! There's still so much I need to know!"

"I'm sorry..I've done all I can for now.." She seemed genuinely regretful,"Just do what You think is right..and above all..stay alive..please.."  
Celebi closed her eyes and vanished from my sight.

I could only stand there and stare at the space where she'd once been. She was gone, as quickly as she came, she was gone.  
And with her went any hope of getting my questions answered. What's worse, it sounded like she could get in trouble for what she did.

I turned and looked toward the gate. There was only one thing to do now. I took a deep breath, relaxed my shoulders, and stepped through the gate,  
my vision was consumed by light and than...darkness...

* * *

_Meanwhile, in another world, there was a large sandy coastline. The day was a seemingly perfect one. The sun shone bright, the sky was clear and blue, the water looked clean enough to drink, there was even a cool breeze blowing. It appeared to be an ideal place to spend a lazy day, right?...right?_

_...Well, it would be ideal, for sure..if not for the bitter dispute going on between two Pokémon. One was an Eevee, the other a Houndoom.  
Let's have a listen and see what's going on._

_The smaller of the two protested,"Mr Houndoom! Please! I beg of you, let me have one more chance!" From the tone of voice, one could assume it was female._

_The taller beast scoffed at her before bluntly replying,"I told you before, and I'll say it again. No! You had your chance and you blew it! Now scram!" He than used his claw to throw some sand in her face._

_Eevee winced at this and shook her head,"But Mr Houndoom. I can do this. I know I can pass the Entrance Exam! You gotta believe me."_

_Houndoom though, was not moved,"You know the rule, Eevee. Those who sign up for the Entry Exam get one chance, and ONLY one chance  
to prove their worth to the Guild. There are only two outcomes.."_

_He turned and marched away from her a little ways,"You either prove you can be useful to us, and get accepted. Or you fail and you beat it. Simple as that."  
There was not a hint of gentleness in the mutt's voice._

_Eevee was not giving up so easily though,"Houndoom sir. I really want to be part of the Guild. It's my dream.  
Can you make an exception just this once?"_

_Houndoom bared his teeth and turned back to face her. The furball was really starting to annoy him,  
"For the last time, No! You Failed! Now go home, brat!" _

_He turned to go, only for the critter to dart in front of him. Without hesitating, he knocked her aside with his paw and dashed off, leaving her behind._

_The brown creature watched him go and let out a sad moan, feelings of regret and failure welled up in her. She had one chance  
and she'd blown it,"Now I'll never become an Explorer.." _

_She turned and wandered along the coastline, lost in her thoughts. Was there anything she could do now?  
Should she do as Houndoom suggested and just quit?_

_However, she was brought out of her stupor when she looked up and saw something truly unexpected lying not far from her.._

_"What the? Who is that?" Forgetting her worries for the moment, she ran toward the unconscious figure._

_There be time for self-pity later...  
_

* * *

I don't know how long I was out, could've been minutes, hours, even days for all I knew. Only thing I knew is that, eventually, I heard a voice calling to me.

"Hey? You ok, mister?" I groaned, who was calling to me?

"Come on! Please wake up! If you don't, the tide will carry you away!" Tide? Where was I? I felt someone poking me in the side.

I moaned and opened my eyes slowly. Everything was a blur but I could make out a shape before me. It was brown and furry with big eyes.  
I managed to mutter out,"Who are you?"

"Oh, thank goodness!" The critter exclaimed while making a phew sound. "I'm Eevee. I found you washed up here on the shore.  
Are you alright?"

I nodded, my vision was quickly clearing and there she was. An actual bonafide Eevee, smiling at me.

Huh..so I'm not imagining things, I sat up though it should be noted I was barely even an inch taller than her,  
"Well, thanks for your concern,Eevee. I'm James, by the way."

My new acquaintance nodded in greeting,"Nice to meet you..though James is a bit of a weird name for a Ditto."

"A Ditto?" It was then I dawned on me,"Oh.." I leered down at the water's reflective surface. The face staring back was not my own.  
Considering what kind of personality I had, and the fact of being a guy, I expected to end up as a Chikorita not as the blobby,  
pink, dot-eyed form of...

A Ditto.

I poked my blobby form while contemplating this revelation,"Yup, definitely my most messed up day ever."

"Hello? Anybody home?" Eevee waved a paw in my face,"Are you sure you're ok?" Oh right, almost forgotten she was there.

I glanced up to her,"I'm fine,really. Just..trying to get my bearings is all." Which was half true, I suppose. What with the whole being  
warped to another dimension thing, being plopped into a brand new body, and having not the slightest clue what I'm suppose to do here.

She nodded in understanding,"Ok than. So um..where exactly are you from?"

Oh man, the answer to that one was a tale in itself. Might as well be upfront about this,"Um..actually..would you believe me if I said  
I was human once?" Here goes. Time for the whole "what's a human?" spiel. Right?

Not quite. Eevee's eyes widened in shock,"Humans? As in..real humans?"

That caught me off-guard. I was not expecting that reaction,"You..you know what humans are?" Not even in this world for ten minutes and  
already I had a bombshell dropped on me.

Eevee shook her head,"Not on any personal level..though I have heard rumors about them, folk tales if you will..." For a second, I could've  
sworn I saw a hint of concern cross her face,"But I've never had the chance to personally meet one."

She came closer to inspect me,"It's strange though..I've never heard of a human who can become a Pokémon.  
Dittos are considered very rare around this region too."

I rubbed my globby forehead nervously,"Ermm..yeah. It's a long story how I got this way."

My new friend's stomach suddenly rumbled, making her sweatdrop,"Hehe. Whoops.." She gestured to a trail,  
"Say, you wanna join me for a bite to eat?"

As if in reply to her question, my own stomach suddenly rumbled too..wait, where exactly was the stomach located on a Ditto anyway?  
Ah, screw it,"Sure, after a day like today I could use a meal."

"Great!" This immediately cheered up Eevee who motioned with her head to follow,"Come on! I knows a great place where we can  
get some food!" She walked on ahead. I went to follow..only to end up falling on my face. At hearing me go splat, she stopped and  
turned her head,"Um..James, you ok?"

"I'll be fine.." I managed to muffle out,"Just not use to my new body yet, I suppose.." Ugh, the main characters in those Mystery Dungeon  
games always made this look so blasting easy. But than again, alot of things looked easier when someone else did it.

The furry mutt waltzed over beside me,"You're a Ditto, aren't you? Which means you must know Transform. Try transforming into me.  
It might help you move better."

That wasn't a half bad idea, now how did this work again? "Right..give me a moment.." I closed my eyes and focused,  
an image of Eevee appeared in my mind and soon, I felt my form..shifting, and changing shape. When I opened my eyes again,  
I saw an approving look on her face.

I glanced behind me, yep, there was my tail, and I had paws too,"Hm..not bad for a first time." I said aloud, that's when another strange  
thought occured to me..get use to this,folks. I usually have alot of strange thoughts,"Wait, does this mean I'm a female Eevee like you too?"

My friend..actually turned red in the cheeks and faced away,"N-Nevermind that..come on, let's go!" She darted off ahead.  
I let out a sigh and followed close behind her.

* * *

We had been traveling along the trail for some time and long since left the coastline behind. Now we were traveling a lush forest with very tall trees. The scenery was nice and all but my hunger was starting to irritate me,"Yo Eevee, how much further?"

"Don't worry, we're almost there!" She answered back assuringly,"Just through these trees here. It'll be worth it, trust me."

"Not like I have much choice.." I grumbled to myself. Until I got a better idea of what was going on, she was my only means of getting any information. Besides, she seemed nice enough.

We finally arrived in a large clearing covered with green grass, a huge tree stood in the middle of it, even from a distance I could spot lots of big, red apples hanging from the branches. Now, for most folks, apples aren't really that amazing a treat but..I can't really explain but..I felt this weird craving swell up inside me.

No, really, I could feel my mouth watering at the sight and the thought of dining on those juicy red apples. "Looks nice, doesn't it?" I stopped my drooling and turned to frown at my companion who was wearing a bright smile on her face. She winked before glancing up at the tree where various Bug pokemon were lounging about enjoying themselves.

"I like coming here, it's quiet, peaceful..gives me time to think, sort things out, ya know..plus all the free apples helps too.."  
Eevee glanced over to me,"Do you have a favorite spot you too,James?"

"Hmmm.." I pondered that thought for several moments before shaking my head,"Can't say I do. Sorry," I glanced up to the tree,  
"Say, um, how exactly did you find this tree?"

Now it was her turn to look embarrassed,"It's a..little embarrassing but..basically, my Mom and Dad showed it to me when I was  
little. It was the place they met too."

That took me surprise, seems my friend here had a few deeper levels to her. I smiled and waltzed over to an apple lying on the grass,"When you love something with all your heart.." I rolled it over to her,"Keep it close..and don't ever lose it..ok?"

Eevee listened to my speaking while putting a paw on the apple. She than chose to chuckle at me,"Are you what humans call a  
"philosopher" or something? That sounds like something one of them would say."

I smiled back and shook my head,"Nah, I simply like saying strange things at times." For the time being, I'd ignore her knowledge  
on humans. It didn't seem the kind of thing to bring up in a peaceful spot like this.

My furry duplicate giggled, she than got an idea,"Say, why don't we have an eating contest? Whoever finishes their apple first wins!"

I smirked at her,"You're on! Ready..set..Go!" We both dug into our food, and let me tell you, I've eaten lots of apples during my life.  
I've downed apple juice, apple pie, apple danishes, basically anything to do with apples, I've eaten it. But these particular apples?

..Well, let's just say they're probaubly the second closest thing to a slice of heaven. They were that good. If I've made you hungry, I do not apologize.

"Umm..ok..you won..you can stop now.." I stopped at hearing her speak and glanced down to see that I had downed the apple  
right to its core...a quick glance over showed that I downed several more apples without even knowing I had done so.

"..Oh..dang.." I could hear the chuckling of the Pokémon up in the tree, probaubly at how much of a glutton I was for food. My friend's  
facial expression too was bordering between amusement and concern. "Guess I was hungrier than I thought,huh?"

"That's ok," She rubbed my forehead with her paw,"I was the same way when I tried them for myself the first time too." That was  
comforting, I guess. At least she wasn't going to judge me based on only my eating habits.

With our bellies full we sat under the tree and watched the sun setting. _So far, so good_. I thought to myself. I may have been stuck in a  
new world with a new body, given a mission with vague details, at best, and no guarantee I would ever see my home again.

But at least I had a friend, a full belly, and nobody pressuring me into joining some Guild where the second in command was a huge prick  
to everybody and made life difficult. I'm looking at you, Chatot. So yeah, this was going good for so far.

However, as you probaubly guessed by now, things were about to take a turn for the worse.

It started with a very loud hissing sound that alerted everyone in the area. We all looked up from our spots and saw a pair of glowing red eyes  
staring at us from the shadows of a bush. I turned to see my fellow Pokémon backing up at the sight.

As such, I swallowed the lump in my throat and called out,"You there! Who are you and what are you doing here?"

A dark chuckle came from the bush,"Hmhmhm...hello little one..don't mind me..I'm just..passing through.." The creature slithered out and  
revealed itself as Seviper, the Poison Snake pokemon.

Eevee automatically started to panic,"J-James..that's Seviper..we need to get out of here now!"

I turned to her,"What do you mean, Eevee?"

Seviper laughed at our plight, flashing its fangs,"You must be new here..in that case, I'll tell you the rules.." He waved the tip of his tail at the meadow,"You see, this tree here, infact, this entire meadow..it all belongs to ME! And Eevee..don't think I ain't aware of you sneaking in and stuffing yourself with MY food."

My friend hid next to me, I looked to her than back at the snake,"With all due respect..this tree is huge..and there's more than enough food for  
everybody. There could be lots of other folks around here who are starving and you have a bounty right here."

The black snake stopped his laughter at my objection and narrowed his eyes,"You don't get it, do you, furball? You aren't back in your  
mommy's house, you're in the wild now. And out here, it's survival of the fittest. If these vermin want food, they'll have to go elsewhere."

I was not backing down from this hog,"Now you listen here, Seviper. This tree, this entire meadow..it's important to my friend here,"  
I nodded to Eevee,"And it's important to any other Pokémon here. Is there no way we can work something out? Nobody here needs to go hungry."

Seviper scoffed at me,"You're a fool if you think I'm going to share this place with anyone. Infact, I should teach you a lesson for intruding..but.."  
He smiled,"Tell you what, since this is your first time..I'll let you off with a warning, as long you don't show yourself here ever again..deal?"

Eevee tugged on my fur coat,"Let's just go..please..you don't have to do this. He'll leave eventually and than we can come back." She kept  
glancing nervously between me and the viper.

"And when will that be?" I growled, baring my tiny teeth,"A couple hours? A few days? A week? If there's one thing I can't stand is a bully..and this guy.." I glared at him,"..He's getting on my nerves...so I'm gonna kick him out of this place good."

Seviper was growing impatient and he focused his gaze on me,"You honestly think you have what it takes to beat me, kid? Fine.."  
He flashed his fangs,"But don't think that just because you're all furry and cute means I'll go easy on you!"

Was what I about to do reckless? Maybe. Dangerous? Definitely. But I had made my decision. I was in this world for a reason. There had to be a purpose for me having this power. If nobody would tell me what it was, then I would make my own reason.

I spread my legs and got ready to rumble,"Ok James, you can do this, just remember..don't rely on only brawns..use your brain too.." I advised to myself. I knew Ditto's Transform could copy a Pokémon almost perfectly, from the appearance, right down to their skills..although they could not mimic the strength that the real deals wielded. Which was one of their only major disadvantages.

(Play Pokémon Theme Song Here)

The other pokemon quickly scampered away, leaving us to duke it out. Seviper reared back and lunged at me,  
fangs at the ready. I quickly leaped away as he smashed into the ground, hard enough to send dirt flying.

While he was recovering, I jumped at him and bit down on his slithery body. He roared in pain and started shaking himself  
all about. I couldn't hold on and I found myself tossed aside, hitting the ground with a thump. I quickly shot back to my feet.

"You're gonna pay for that furball!" My opponent reared back and let loose from his mouth a blast of Gastro Acid. If that stuff hit me,  
I knew I'd be in big trouble, so I quickly rolled beneath the attack and rushed him head on.

He was still recovering from using his breath attack when I picked up speed and leaped right at him, going into a Tackle attack.  
My form hit him hard in what I assumed was his chest, the power of my blow sent his body flying and crashing into one of the trees on the rim of the meadow.

I landed on the ground and rubbed my sore head,"Ouch...ok, that's going to need a bit more work.." I glanced up in time to see that  
Seviper was already coming back from his flight, and boy did he look pissed.

Before I could move, he lashed out with a Tail Swipe which hit me pretty hard. I could hear myself cry in pain as I was  
catapulted onto my back and tumbled over. I groaned as I managed to open an eye and see him slithering towards me.

"Nicely done, furball. You succeeded in ruining my good mood, now I'll make you pay!" His fangs gleamed in the sun's light  
and I knew he was about to use his Poison Fang. I wasn't giving up though.

"That's enough!" The real Eevee ran between us,"James, you need to stop! There's no need to go so far just for me."

I struggled to my feet and shook myself,"So you're ok with letting this punk make a mockery of what's important to you?  
Something even your parents valued?"

My friend looked a little unsure of herself,"...My parents wouldn't want me to put someone in harm's way either.." She turned back to  
Seviper,"The tree's yours, so please just stop and let him go."

To her surprise, he shook his head,"No can do, kid. Your friend pissed me off.." He glared at me,"And I won't be satisfied until I  
give him a painful lesson!"

Eevee glanced back at me, as if considering something, than put on a determined face,"Ok..I'll..I'll fight you myself."

Seviper had the nerve to laugh, boy, this guy was getting on my nerves,"You?! Don't be stupid, mutt. You never stood up  
to anything before now, so why start?"

"You shut up, acid breath," I snarled as I got up beside her,"I wasn't going to show you this but you've left me no choice.." My body  
glowed and I felt myself shifting, growing to a height that rivaled his own. When the light settled, they were shocked to see I was a Seviper too.

Needless to say, my foe was not pleased as he sputtered,"Y-You..but how?! How do you know Transform? Only Mew knows that technique!"

"Or a Ditto.." I hissed back as I flashed my fangs and looked to my partner, "So..you ready to go, partner?" She nodded  
happily and we both charged my twin.

Seviper growled and spat another stream of acid at us so we both dove to the sides, avoiding his projectile. A moving target  
tends to be much harder to hit than a stationary one.

Our foe stabbed his tail at Eevee but she quickly hopped backwards to dodge it, getting the tip stuck in the ground. Seeing a chance,  
I bit down hard on his tail, causing him to howl in agony. With one large grunt, I lifted him over my head and smashed him into the ground with a loud thump. Than I lifted his body again, twirled him around and let the fella go.

He crashed into the dirt and sled along it. I nodded to Eevee who nodded back and charged him full throttle. Seviper sat up while  
shaking his head, obviously dazed and not feeling too good.

"Huh?" He saw Eevee approaching at high speeds,"A Quick Attack? But.."

Before he could comprehend this, she pulled off said attack, striking with such force it sent out a small shockwave. The viper pokemon flew through the air for several feet before landing in a heap.

Eevee stood by, breathing heavily, I slid over beside her,"Nicely done."

"I..I didn't even know I could do that.." My friend remarked while trying to catch her breath. I rose an eyebrow at that comment but didn't say anything.

Seviper rose up slowly, short of breath, bruises forming on his body,"Don't think..you've won just yet.."

"This guy doesn't know when to stop.." I said with a sigh,"What you say? Shall we finish him with a Double Tackle?"  
Eevee was a little surprised by my offer but than smiled and nodded.

The giant snake opened an eye only to see us charging together. His eye widened as he realized what we were about to do,"Oh no..not that.."

"Double Tackle attack!" We shouted together before crashing into him with such force and strength, it caused him to  
let out a loud, pain-filled hiss before finally giving in and collapsing.

We'd done it. We won our first battle.

( End Song)

Seviper moaned and groaned in pain from his beatings,"Oh man...there's no way this is happening..I can't be  
beaten..by a pair of weaklings like you.."

"Well, guess what? You just did.." I growled, sticking my tongue out at him,"Now beat it, and don't show your face  
around here again..unless you want another pounding.."

Our defeated foe gave me a hateful look in the eye,"...Fine! Keep your stupid tree! But don't think I'll forget this,kid.." He slithered off,  
"One of these days, you and your little friend are gonna pay!"

"Yeah, yeah, get out of here already!" I shouted after him before laughing and changing back to Ditto,"Glad that mess is over,  
eh Eev-hey, what's with the face?"

Instead of being happy for our victory, she wore a disappointed frown on her face,"You really shouldn't have done that..didn't it  
cross your mind you could've been seriously hurt?!"

I did a double take at that,"Oh..um.." I sighed, exasperated,"..Not really, I suppose..sorry if I worried you."

"You should be sorry," Eevee agreed, nodding,"I mean, what were you even thinking? You should be grateful Seviper didn't get to  
bite you, that could've caused so many problems, and I..I.." Oh great, she was ready to cry.

"Hey.." I patted her on the head,"I'm ok..it all worked out,see? Seviper won't be bothering anyone for a while, and you got to keep your tree."  
"But you still got hurt because of it," My fellow Pokémon argued back, rubbing her face,"We..we got lucky this time.."

"Luck had nothing to do with it," I cut her off,"He underestimated us, and if there's one thing I know, if you  
underestimate your opponents, you're almost always guaranteed to fail." I'd watched enough anime to know that fact.

The brown furry one let out a sigh,"I guess so..but promise me you won't do anything that reckless ever again, ok?"

"I'll only do it if I feel I have good enough reason," I said to her in turn. I wasn't one who stood by and did  
nothing when unjust things were occurring in front of me,"But for you, I'll try."

"That's good enough," Eevee finally relented before putting on a smile again,"Though I must thank you, that was really  
brave what you did for me."

I laughed and shook my blobby form,"It was nothing, I would've done it for anybody else in trouble.." It was than  
I noticed the time of day,"Oh, the sun's beginning to set."

"Huh?" My friend glanced up and, sure enough, the sky was getting darker, the sun was setting in the distance,  
"Oh wow..it's been a long day for both of us.."

"Yeah.." I shifted back to Eevee form,"You don't mind if I crash at your place tonight, do you?" She giggled and  
shook her head,"Nope, it's the least I can do. Come on," We both ran off together.

Not knowing what the future had in store for us...

* * *

_Up in the sky, over the meadow, having observed the whole fight from up high was a Pidgeotto. To say the spectacle  
had caught its interest would be an understatement._

_This particular bird was actually a scout for the Guild in the area. It was this fella's job to seek out those with the  
ability of becoming potential recruits. The Eevee was not anything too special, even if its Tackle had solid power, it still failed  
the Entry Exam._

_But the other one..a Ditto was the only pokemon aside from Mew herself who knew Transform. It seemed this one was also  
fairly good at using it. The Boss was not someone who you could easily impress,but a Pokémon who could freely alter its form...that  
could actually be quite useful._

_Pidgeotto turned and flew on back to give its report..  
_

* * *

Eevee led me to a hole in the side of a hill and beckoned me inside. Once we crawled in, I found myself on the interior of a small den,  
"Home sweet home," She announced out loud,"I know it's a little cramped, but you get use to it,trust me."

She was right, but I wasn't one to complain, especially seeing as my own room back home was rather small,"I don't mind.  
I only want a place to curl up and get some rest," My new friend motioned toward a modest bed of grass I could use as a bed,"Thanks."

We both laid down on our beds,"So Eevee, you're out here all alone?"

She stopped shifting into a comfy position long enough to go into a contemplative one,"I guess you could say that...I only  
planned to stay in this den for a day or two..but.." Suddenly, she shook her head,"On second thought, forget it. It's not important."

I really wanted to sleep, but I knew my companion's worries were my worries, so I piped up,"It's fine, Eevee.  
You can tell me. I promise, whatever it is, I won't hold it against you."

The furry pokemon sat up on her hind legs and waved her tails about before starting,"..Ok, but first, I got a question.  
Do you know anything about Rescue Teams?"

Oh please don't tell me this is going where I think it is. I took a couple seconds to think up an appropriate response before nodding my head,"I think so. They're groups of Pokemon who go out and explore the world, uncover lost treasures and relics, help Pokemon in need, that kind of stuff, right?"

My friend nodded in approval,"Right, being on one is a great way to make friends, learn about yourself, and see the world.  
There's suppose to be this really popular Guild around these parts that turns out first-rate Teams...but.."

"But?" I inquired, urging her to go on.

She took in a deep breath before starting to explain,"This particular Guild is Very strict about who they recruit. If you  
sign up, they put you through this Entry Exam, it's suppose to be really tough too."

"An Entry Exam?" This was news to me.

"Yeah, It's used to see if you got what it takes to be a member of the guild. However, if you don't complete the exam, or if  
you don't even attempt it, you automatically fail."

"Ouch, that's harsh.." No really, you had to pass some bloody Exam simply to get into the Guild? If this was anything like  
Wigglytuff's Guild I was NOT in for a fun time,"So, what's your story?"

At this, she suddenly became very nervous and looked away,"..I..I signed up for the Exam and today was when I  
had to do it..but I got scared and..ran away.."

I winced in sympathy,"Ouch..guess that didn't go over well with anybody."

She shook her head,"No it didn't, what's worse, you only get one chance at the Exam. There's no doing it over if you fail."

Ok, that was REALLY harsh. I knew from playing the games that being part of a Guild was no walk in the park but  
still..."I'm sorry to hear that..what do you plan to do now? It's not like there's a way around their rules.."

Eevee sighed and, likely not feeling well, collapsed on her bed again,"I really don't know..being on a Rescue Team  
has been my dream and now.." Before I could try to offer advice, she shot up suddenly,"That's it!"

"What's it?" I asked nervously, startled by her sudden energy burst.

She started padding around the den,"There is a way! I took the Exam and failed, yes, but if someone else signs up, and  
they say they're going in with a partner.." The gal turned hopeful eyes on me.

Why did I get a sinking feeling in my gut? "..You're not thinking.."

"James, there's no rules that say your partner can't be someone who's already failed the exam," She came up to me,"Please..let's take  
the exam together and take the first steps toward making our own Rescue Team!"

I wanted to say no, I really did. Not that I didn't like Teams, quite the opposite infact, but I was not good at dealing with  
authority figures, or taking orders. I'd make an exception if lives were at stake or I respected the person in charge,but other than that, no go.

..But this was Eevee's dream, it was important to her, besides, maybe this was part of the reason I got called here? If we succeeded..I'd be  
playing by my own rules though. I smiled at her,"Ok fine, we'll do it."

She cheered and tackled me, nuzzling my cheek affectionately,"Thank you, thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me!"  
In a flash, she was back on her bed,"Sleep tight, we got a big day tomorrow." Before I knew it, my friend was out like a light.

I watched her peacefully sleep before looking out the den hole to the moonlit night,"...You just have to be the nice guy, don't ya James?"  
I admonished myself. Still, I was a man of my word, there was no backing out now.

I laid down and drifted off, wondering what I've gotten myself into... 

* * *

_Oh, Celebi...what have you gone and done now?..._

_Hmm? A Newcomer? An Anomaly even..how unexpected.._

_Still, this does violate the rules..I really should tell on you.._

_..Or perhaps I'll simply stand aside for now and observe.._

_I know you never does anything without good reason.._

_Besides, there may come a time when I'll want to test him myself.._

_Until than, I will only observe...after all.._

_Some rules were made to be broken...  
_

* * *

**And with that, Chapter 1 comes to its end. I know you might've spotted some references to the other Mystery Dungeon games in here but I promise you, we will be going our own direction soon enough.**

**Also, I realize this is a bit long for a first chapter, but that's mostly cause I needed to get a lot of things set up, if I bored you a little I apologize.**

**Future chapters will likely not be as long.**

**Until next time, here's a preview of the next chapter: **

**James and his new companion Eevee head for the Guild to prove their worth to become a Rescue Team. However, to pass, they must endure the brutal trials of the Entry Exam. **

**As if tackling that weren't enough, it seems there are those who want to put an end to the boy's mission before he even knows what it is. Will****the pair succeed against such odds?**

**Next Chapter: A New Team Is Born**

**And as the old saying goes, read and review!**


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